Best Buy Predicts 42-Inch “Apple HDTV” In Customer Survey

A rumored Apple television set has received just as much — if not more — attention than the company’s upcoming iPhone 5 in recent months, but the questions we’ve all been asking about its specifications have been answered… by Best Buy.

The retailer has been issuing surveys to its customers to obtain feedback on potential new products and services, but many were surprised to find details on a 42-inch “Apple HDTV,” which will apparently be available for $1,499.

In addition to a 42-inch 1080p LED display, Best Buy claims the set will feature Apple’s iOS operating system; iCloud; the ability to use your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad as a remote; and content services like Netflix, YouTube, and Flickr. Features which — apart from the 42-inch display — are already available from the company’s $99 Apple TV.

There are a few slightly questionable predictions, however. Best Buy also claims the set will feature an iSight camera and microphone for Skype video calls, and the App Store. “Can you imagine playing Angry Birds on a big screen in your living room?” the retailer asks. Which is where its predictions become slightly questionable.

Firstly, it’s unlikely Apple would market a built-in iSight camera for Skype when it has its own video calling platform in the form of FaceTime. And with AirPlay mirroring available on our iOS devices, are we really going to see an App Store on the Apple set?

There’s also one glaring omission from that list, which is Siri. Since rumors surrounding the Apple television first began, one feature that been present in almost every report is the inclusion of Apple’s impressive voice controlled assistant, which Best Buy fails to mention.

Of course, it’s highly unlikely these specifications are anything more than predictions from Best Buy, but it’s surprising the retailer would even mention the set at all in a public document.

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I’m wondering if it will allow cable and various I/O ports like a regular TV as well?

Mystakill

That’s a heck of a premium, considering that most of the LED HDTVs in that price range on Best Buy’s own site are 46″ to 55″, and already include “smart” functionality from Google, Samsung, etc. Hell, there are even over-priced Sony sets in that mix for less than $1499.

joewaylo

I agree with you there. It must be one heck of a premium. Not sure how many would be willing to buy a 42″ HDTV for $1499 when they regularly go for $464-1627 varying on what’s put into the TV. I’d rather buy a Vizio 3DTV with Apps put into it for $539.

FriarNurgle

More like a 42″ dumbed down iMac at that price point.

turbohand

Other than the camera I can’t see how this couldn’t be accomplished with AppleTV or an upgraded AppleTV.

Will Reed

Apple needs to find a way to dumb down the price. A TV is not something you renew every year. The idea that an iTV wouldn’t have a camera is ludicrous. Its on every device (even the new nano according to rumors) why wouldn’t be on the TV. People wouldn’t go to the app store on their TV? Why not? They use it on every other device. The whole mantra of apple devices is that they work with each other, therefore need to be similar. An iTV will be no different. Will it have cable provider capabilities? Absolutely, it’s a TV, however I see app based integration as opposed to hooking it up through the jack.

iAidan

Dont see anyone buying this, here in the uk i can go into a pc world and get a 42″ Samsung 3D Smart TV for around 600GBP – about 950USD.

Brandon Dillon

The same price differences can be said for Samsung laptops in comparison to MacBooks, and Apple is winning in that category too.

I blows my mind how people just, well, don’t get it. The specs on a device do not matter. That has been clearly proven with tablets trying to compete with the iPad. It’s about the GUI and the experience, both of which fall short, especially with Samsung’s sporadic GUI on their smart tv’s.

Brandon Dillon

$1,500 really isn’t a bad price at all for an iTV (or whatever it will be called), considering their attention to detail. As far as camera on the Nano, I don’t expect that. I’m not sure about a camera on the TV, unless it is adjustable, considering that people mount their TV’s at all sorts of varying heights.

Brandon Dillon

If it doubles as a secondary monitor, I’m definitely down. The old 30″ Apple Cinema Displays still sell for over $1000 on eBay. Those of you that are saying that no one will buy this are fools.

iAidan

Components always matter, you cant fun that flashy UI without a good graphics card and CPU. Not to forget the RAM. You are clearly an apply fan-boy, and i have to say that all though apples designs are nice, they are far from the best. Samsung has a very nice design to there TVs and Laptops, which also looks good. The iPads UI looks very good, but i have to say my iPad 1G is no were near as good as the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10, i have used both devices and the Samsung tablet is smaller, lighter and i have to say provides a better user experience. The reason people buy an iPad is for the applications it offers, the UI is old and out of date and apple always just release the same style of device, which gets boring after a while. Other computer company’s such as alien ware also make much better designs then apple, and they offer a much better package then Apple.

The thing people seem to forget is all these devices aim for different markets, the Samsung tablet is aimed at business, and it offers a much better business experience. The iPad is aimed at the entertainment sector, therefor offers more games, better connectivity with Apple TV etc..

No one will buy this apple TV because there are far better packages out there, and seeing some of the rumored designs, i would hate to have that in my living room and the Samsung tvs appeals much more to me, and offers a modern design. I am not a Samsung fan-boy, i just feel that Apple is assumed to be more then it is, some people thing all of there new things are “Magical and revolutionary”, the truth is there not, i would love apple to attempt this market that they have clearly already failed in.

chloe_romanin

I didn’t know i can watch Netflix on a Samsung TV without additional hardware like an xBox. I also didn’t know i can control a Samsung TV using my voice (SIRI). Oh and i don’t know i can use my iPod as remote to control my Samsung TV or move a movie i just bought in iTunes using my iPad in the direction of the TV to play the movie on my TV using Airplay or iCloud. Apple can and probably will revolutionize the way people use their TV, just think of a digital TV newspaper on my iPad where i can click on the image of a TV show and my Apple TV imidiatly switches to the channel that show is airing on. Your right 1500 is not cheap for a TV, but as Brandon told you twice, if apple customers already now are willing to pay twice the price of a Samsung laptop to get MacBook or twice the price of a Samsung Android to get an iPhone, then yes people will for sure pay 1500 for a TV from Apple instead of the 1000 for a Samsung TV!

Cold_dead_fingers

You’re basing an opinion on rumors? Are you really that stupid? Samsung doesn’t aim for the business sector anymore than Apple, bro. IPad has more fictional core business applications AND more games for the casuals. You may not like Apple, but they make products that are pretty much top of their class because of the amount of detail in them.

Steve LeVine

@KillianBell:disqus – I see absolutely nothing in the article that actually shows Best Buy is “predicting” anything. They are also making no claims to any product features. They are simply asking speculative questions for market research. This can be very useful to their product director. They can get a sense of what features in general customers are looking for. That helps them decide if they should buy similar products from other manufacturers or maybe hold out in case this actual product comes to fruition. Maybe Apple even is paying them to do the market research (although Apple generally doesn’t do market research, their iTV project may be handled differently like when GM created Saturn.)

djrobsd

$1499. Pass.

Bob Forsberg

Well worth the money, depending on what defines its HDTV resolution. My 27″ iMac has 2560×1440, far better than 1080p of my HDTV. A 42″ iMac with built in AppleTV chips and 2560×1440 or better resolution is good at twice that price.

iAidan

You clearly dont see sense here, how do you know an apple tv will have all them things? As far as i can see all there designs look the same, and a tv that looks like an iMac would be horrid to look at. Samsung is top of the TV and Phone market at the moment, they wont be pushed off the spot in the TV market, as for Phones, the iPhone has the advantage, but there latest model has nothing much that is different, and Samsung phones off much more then the latest iPhone.

iAidan

You clearly dont see sense here, how do you know an apple tv will have all them things? As far as i can see all there designs look the same, and a tv that looks like an iMac would be horrid to look at. Samsung is top of the TV and Phone market at the moment, they wont be pushed off the spot in the TV market, as for Phones, the iPhone has the advantage, but there latest model has nothing much that is different, and Samsung phones off much more then the latest iPhone.

iAidan

iPads apps are good, but the Androids functionality is much better, there tablet is much thinner and lighter then the iPad and i know this threw experience. It offers a much greater online experience, thanks to there browser app and fantastic facebook integration. But the iPad has great twitter integration and is more widely known, and i can tell that you are very bias at this point in time. Why not take a look and use the galaxy tab before you start saying it has less apps then the iPad etc.. Most of the iPads apps are games, and most of there business apps are crap, and trust me ive used almost all of them.